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Coyote Ugly

There are coyote sightings everywhere these days and not just in rural environments. People spot coyotes crossing busy urban streets, in neighborhood parks and in their own back yards. Cats, small dogs even medium sized dogs are disappearing. Coyotes are hungry, have young to feed and they mean business. They can easily jump a 6 foot fence or dig under a fence. They are no longer waiting until dawn or dusk to hunt and are seen during the day hunting for food and our pets are easy targets.

One day, a dog mom and the dog’s grandmom were at their office in Redmond, WA . At 11:00 a.m. their 11lb Toy Fox Terrier went out to his regular bathroom spot. The area is less than 50’ from the office door surrounded by some tall grass. Then, in an instant they heard a gut wrenching scream from their beloved Jax that sent chills down their spines.

Within a flash of Jax reaching his destination, a coyote, lying in wait, grabbed him and started to run off. The grandma, propelled by maternal instinct ran screaming after the coyote and for some lucky reason, the coyote dropped this wounded dog and ran off. They quickly got to their dog that was screaming in pain and shock. The owner, the daughter in law, somehow stayed calm in spite of the dog’s condition trying to soothe the dog by talking to him. It was her voice that helped Jax settle, and then the dog went into shock. They picked up the dog and on their way to the car to get to the Vet the dog’s grandpa phoned Seattle Veterinary Specialists (SVS) in Kirkland, WA. that they were on their way. This emergency Vet hospital was about 10 miles away and staff was waiting for the arrival of this little dog.

Wound Treatment
Kristin Kirkby, DVM was the surgeon on this case and nice enough to contribute the following details of wound treatment:
Jax was originally treated with a type of bandage called a “wet-to-dry”, which is several layers of sterile gauze placed over the wound. The bottom layer is moistened with sterile saline and the top layers are dry. As the bottom layer dries out, any dead tissue will stick to it so that when the bandage is changed (within 24 h), the dead tissue is removed. This is the traditional way of managing an open wound (in people and animals).

One important point is that when ever we see animals with bite wounds, particularly those that have a lot of tissue damage, we typically do not want to close them up right away– this can lead to sever infection if any dead tissue or debris is left inside.

Luckily and amazingly, there were no punctures into the abdomen. The trauma was mostly confined to the lower back muscles. He also had a wound over his neck that was less severe. After 1 day with wet-to-dry bandage we placed the VAC bandage. Again the wound was flushed and cleaned before putting the bandage on. The bandage consists of sterile foam with a tube placed in the foam. The foam and tube are covered with a sterile adhesive drape this keeps a seal on the foam. The tube is connected to a device that provides constant suction, keeping the foam collapsed so that it looks like a raisin. It is essential that the suction be monitored and kept at or near -125 mmHg (negative pressure). After 3 days with the VAC bandage (no changes in 3 days) we removed the bandage and foam and the wound appeared healthy enough to close but there was still a pocket under the skin so a drain was placed which was removed after a couple of days.

The benefits of the VAC bandage are: removes fluid and inflammatory products from the wound, stimulates new blood vessel and tissue growth in the area, decreases infection, speeds wound healing, stretches the skin and tissues to allow for wound closure (important when we are faced with very big wounds and not enough skin to close), and you only need to change the bandage every 3 days compared to every 24 hours with a wet to dry.
The laser therapy was performed as we do for all wounds. Laser has been shown to stimulate cellular metabolism (damaged cells are able to function better), decrease inflammation and swelling, increase blood flow and speed wound healing. SVS, www.svsvet.com is the only hospital in the area that offers both laser and VAC.

Jax current condition is amazing due to luck, the courageous act by a loving, protective dog family and SVS.

Happy Outcome
Now, the advice in these situations is not to intervene as a hungry coyote may not back down from a meal and could attack the human. But, I know of no dog parent who would stand by and do nothing.

Overview On Coyotes
Coyotes, like many predators are opportunists. They have learned that our pets as easy prey and these cunning hunters have become quite bold and aggressive.

Some tips from the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture to help prevent pet loss and injury to humans:
1. Remove all outdoor food sources such as feeding pets outdoors
2. Secure garbage bins
3 Keep small pets close on leash when outside especially dawn and dusk.
4 Stand tall when you encounter a coyote. Sometimes loud noises or water from a hose can deter an attack
5.Trim shrubbery near ground level to remove any hiding places for coyotes.
6. Coyotes are agile and can jump a 6 ft fence make sure your fence is at least that high with the bottom extending 6 inches below ground level.
7. I have never liked tie outs for dogs but if you are near woods or greenbelts, especially not a good idea

Fast facts
Coyotes:
• Are good swimmers and can run up to 40 mph.
• Can snatch a pet running off leash before your jaw drops and also can bite through extended retractable leashes.
• Are skillful hunters, sometimes working in pairs; most active from dusk to dawn.
• Often grab pets that walk near woods.
• Are attracted to easy food sources and can eat just about anything

Note: This is a seattlepi.com reader blog. It is not written or edited by the P-I. The authors are solely responsible for content. E-mail us at newmedia@seattlepi.com if you consider a post inappropriate.